


Bandages

by Loekazz



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Blood and Injury, F/M, Light Angst, M/M, Multi, Polyamory, Soltryce Academy (Critical Role), blumendrei, what's sexier than wizards NOTHING
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-20
Updated: 2021-02-20
Packaged: 2021-03-16 05:54:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 755
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29571342
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Loekazz/pseuds/Loekazz
Summary: Astrid, Eadwulf and Bren grow a bond literally forged in blood.
Relationships: Astrid/Eodwulf/Caleb Widogast
Comments: 2
Kudos: 27
Collections: Blumenkrew Fics





	Bandages

**Author's Note:**

> Blumendrei lives in my head rent-free. 
> 
> I was wondering whether they were a thing before Trent picked them as his students, or whether they bonded through their shared trauma. I chose to write about the latter :) 
> 
> Not used to posting on Ao3 yet, so if I need to make any changes let me know! <3

Without a word the three proteges made their way back to their dorms. It was protocol. Follow the orders of the master, for the good of the empire. To complain was treason. To cry was weakness. Astrid sat down on her bed with a heavy sigh. Carefully she removed the bloodstained cloth from her forearms. It was hard seeing the wounds, and the geometrical pattern they carved in her flesh. I can’t look away. She forced her eyes to take it all in. Get used to the idea of blood soaked skin. 

Her stomach turnt and Astrid retched in a corner. 

Fresh bandages applied, wounds tended to, and her own sick cleaned up Astrid shifted her attention back to the copy of ‘Advanced Applications of Illusory magic’ in front of her. Glancing over this particular chapter discussing glamours she couldn’t help but let her eyes drift back to her forearms every so often. Maybe when the wounds had healed a bit more and she could bear to look at them. 

Then suddenly there was a subtle knock on her door. Astrid urged her visitor to enter, and it was none other than her classmate and fellow chosen student of Master Ikithon. He was tall enough to cast a shadow over most people at the Soltryce Academy and of an unusual build for arcane practitioners, but had one of the gentlest souls she had ever seen in a person. 

“I have brought you something.” He said in a hushed voice, as if afraid to startle her with his presence. In his hands he cupped a small jar filled with a light green balm emitting a soothing aroma. Astrid noticed his own bandages were gone, arms glistening in the soft candlelight. Slick with a mixture of blood and whatever concoction Eadwulf had brought with him no doubt. “I’m good.” she responded. The wounds stung underneath her wrappings, but the smell of her own weakness still lingered in the air. No doubt Eadwulf must have noticed it too. At least he didn’t show it, which was sweet. An awkward silence hung in the air. Eadwulf seemed torn on whether to approach Astrid, and she on her turn was unsure as to whether she’d ask him to. “Maybe Bren needs some of that.” she eventually deflected, and the tall boy nodded in silence. 

Bren was the most talented of the three of them. His mind processed every single piece of information you fed it. A swift learner, and dedicated to the cause beyond belief. 

He was also the most fragile of the three of them. 

They found him curled into a ball on his bed. Scattered across his sheets were multiple books open on random pages. Books on Evocation, books on comparative anatomy between the various races of Exandria, and Astrid could have sworn there was a copy of this Zemnian children’s story amongst the heavy tomes. Eadwulf was the first to rush in. He didn’t say much, just gently grabbed hold of Bren’s arms. His bandages showed localised specks of deep red and Astrid found herself forced to avert her eyes. She could hear Eadwulf remove the pieces of bloodstained cloth. Bren suppressed a whimper as the caring wizard applied his balm to the wounds. A few minutes passed in silence where Astrid listened to the sound of Eadwulf’s fingers massaging Bren’s arms. Her eyes trained on the walls of the boy’s room. They were covered with letters from home and pictures of his mother, father, and a fuzzy red-haired cat. 

“You can look now.” Eadwulf announced eventually. Astrid turned her head to see Bren’s arms glistening like Wulf’s, but there was not a drop of blood in sight. She exchanged a silent glance of gratitude with the tall boy, and sat down next to Bren on the bed. He was breathing heavily. “D-danke.” He tried to muster. The quaking of his voice revealed just how close to tears he was. Astrid gently brushed a few strands of hair out of the way so she could look at his face properly. His hair was like fire, and it burned as bright as Bren’s victims did. In all honesty he scared her sometimes. But looking into these tear-filled blue eyes right now she saw a vulnerable and scared young boy. He leaned into her touch, pressing his cheek to her fingers. Eadwulf still caressed his wounded arms, and exchanged a knowing look with Astrid. 

It was the first night they loved each other, and there would be many more.


End file.
